Low-carb diets have been shown to be effective for weight loss, resulting in about double the weight loss--21.6 lbs. versus 10.6 lbs.--when compared to low-fat calorie-restricted diets, as shown in the "Annals of Internal Medicine." Low-carb diets...
More than two drinks per day causes toxicity to most organs, including the central nervous system, according to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine." Some people who drink alcohol may experience stimulation initially. However, with...
Glucosamine is an amino sugar that is naturally utilized by the body to synthesize glucosaminoglycan, a much-needed ingredient used as a building block for the formation of cartilage, the material that attaches muscles to bones. According to a...
Mental status changes are one of the most common presentations of electrolyte imbalances. According to "Cecil Medicine," the prevalence of acute cases of mental confusion during hospital stays is approximately 60 percent in elderly patients, with...
The labia minora are the two folds of smooth, pigmented skin that lie within the larger labia majora and protect the entrance to the vagina. They are also a common site for the genital herpes lesions that, according to the Centers for Disease...
Potassium plays an extremely important role in the electrophysiology of your body's cells. According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," potassium or K+ is the major positively charged ion in the cells. In fact, approximately 98...
Hair loss -- medically known as alopecia -- is a common complaint, affecting approximately 50 percent of women, according to the American Academy of family Physicians. This condition can occur anywhere on the body, but the most common location is...
Herpes, according to the American Social Health Association, is a common and usually mild skin condition characterized by episodic recurrence. Most infections are unrecognized and undiagnosed. Familiarizing yourself with herpes breakout symptoms...
Herpes of the mouth is an incurable viral disease known by several different names, including herpes labialis, cold sores and fever blisters. The American Social Health Association advises that somewhere between 50 and 80 percent of adults in the...
A crucial electrolyte, potassium levels are normally kept within a narrow range, according to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine." This mineral is the major cation inside the cells responsible for the relaxation phase of muscle...
According to the American Social Health Association (ASHA), somewhere between 50 and 80 percent of the adult population in the United States has oral herpes, with as many as 90 percent infected by age 50. Most people contract the virus as...
Herpes is an infection that is caused by a herpes simplex virus (HSV), according to Medline Plus, a patient information website jointly maintained by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Oral herpes causes cold...
Herpes is a recurrent, lifelong viral infection for which there is no cure. According to Dr. Lawrence Corey in "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," the herpes virus has been cultured from nearly every area of the human body, from the face...
Flulike illness is a common complaint of people with herpes, according to Dr. Lawrence Corey in "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine." While it is possible to have the flu and herpes at the same time, more often these symptoms are simply...
Herpes is the common name for infections caused by one or both types of the herpes simplex virus. Most people develop symptoms between six and eight days after they are infected, although sometimes it takes longer---up to 26 days, according to Dr....
Lyme disease is due to Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete, which is a type of bacteria transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected deer tick. Lyme disease can cause a number of symptoms. If undiagnosed, it can result in recurring symptoms...
Alcohol affects many different organ systems. According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," more than one or two drinks a day have a toxic effect. Some effects appear after only a few drinks, others after years of heavy drinking....
Homocysteine is a potentially toxic amino acid created in the normal metabolic process of the body. Normally, it is broken down or converted to a non-toxic amino acid. Homocystinurias are a group of genetic conditions in which the level of...
Some fungi grow as molds, while others exist in two forms, or dimorphic---either as molds or budding yeast. Fungi can cause pneumonia in healthy people who travel to endemic areas in the United States or Central America; they can also cause...
Defects in brain vessels, notably arteries, include hardening by atherosclerotic plaque, which narrows carotid arteries and can cause stroke; formation of berry aneurysms, which can rupture causing subarachnoid hemorrhage; deposition of amyloid in...
According to DoctorFungus.org, fungi, which are plant-like organisms that lack chlorophyll, exist as budding yeasts or molds. According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, yeastlike fungi include Candida and Cryptococcus. Molds include...
The term pathological mechanisms of osteoarthritis refers to how osteoarthritis develops. Osteoarthritis is arthritis thought to be joint breakdown, inflammation and pain associated with "wear and tear." This contrasts with rheumatoid arthritis,...
Herpes, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, is the common name for a group of viruses that cause painful blisters and sores. One kind of herpes causes sores around and inside the mouth; another kind of herpes causes sores...
Herpes, according to the American Social Health Association, is a common and usually mild skin condition characterized by episodic recurrence. Up to 90 percent of infections are unrecognized and undiagnosed. Familiarizing yourself with the...
In recent years, the common use of pharmaceutical Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT, for perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms has been called into question by some experts. According to American Family Physician, this overall departure from the...
According to MedlinePlus, a patient information website jointly maintained by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, herpes labialis is a common disease caused by infection of the mouth area with herpes simplex...
According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," herpes simplex viruses produce a variety of infections involving the mouth and face, genitals, eyes, nervous system and internal organs. The exact symptoms and course of herpes depend on...
Chronic prostatitis is the swelling and inflammation of the prostate gland that develops slowly and persists for a long time. A long-term bacterial infection is the main cause of chronic prostatitis, notes MedlinePlus, and symptoms include...
Scleroderma is a skin disease characterized by excess collagen. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments for Scleroderma in this video.